February 20 2016

Kaleo is Coming to Your City!

Popular Icelandic band Kaleo is touring the United States for the first time.

Icelandic sensation (and one of Iceland Naturally’s very own Reykjavik Calling alumni) Kaleo, is scheduled to perform across the nation this year as part of their “Way Down We Go” tour. Kaleo recently signed with Atlantic Records and made the move from Reykjavik to Austin, Texas. Their brilliant blend of folk, blues, country and rock creates an unparallelled experience for listeners of all genres. Below is a full list of tour dates and locations.

​​2/18/16 - Nashville, TN

2/20/16 - Washington, DC

2/23/16 - Philadelphia, PA

2/24/16 - New York NY

2/26/16 - Boston, MA

2/27/16 - Burlington, VT

3/2/16 - Chicago, IL

3/3/316 - Minneapolis, MN

3/6/16 - Denver, CO

3/9/16 - San Francisco, CA

3/11/16 - West Hollywood, CA

5/21/16 - Gulf Shores, AL

6/17/16 - Dover, DE

Click here for more information on dates, times and venues for each show!

The spring of 2014 was probably when you first heard the name Kaleo, when they recorded their introspective song “All the Pretty Girls” and extended their fame worldwide in just one night. However, before this eclectic band swept you off your feet, they already had an iconic image in their home country.

Friends since elementary school, Kaleo started out when three of the four band members began playing music together at the age of 17. Bandleader JJ Juliusson, drummer David Antonsson Crivello and bassist Danny Jones played numerous shows around Reykjavik for a few years before adding their fourth member, guitarist Rubin Pollock. The band decided to name themselves after the Hawaiian word “Kaleo,” meaning “the sound.” After establishing their image, they began building their diverse fan base while playing a handful of successful shows at the Iceland Airwaves music festival in 2012.

They recorded their first pair of original songs in early 2013, which landed them press coverage throughout Iceland. Later that spring, they covered the Icelandic ballad “Vor i vaglasoki” live on the radio, which quickly went viral. They then recorded a studio version of the ballad that went to the top of the charts of every radio station in the country without skipping a beat. A few months later, in the fall of 2013, Kaleo recorded their first full-length album, which received high praises and enabled the band to appear on the largest stage in Iceland, Culture Night, with 100,000 people in the crowd and 90 percent of the population listening via broadcast. The band’s heritage and diversity creates an experience you won’t get from other bands.

This tour won’t be their first visit to the states, though; the band appeared in Boston last spring when they played for our very own Taste of Iceland Reykjavik Calling event in March.

In full pursuit of the band’s dreams, they made the move to Austin, Texas after signing with Atlantic Records and will begin recording new sounds with producer Mike Crossey in London for an EP later this year.

Tell us what you think of Kaleo and the “Way Down We Go” tour in the comments section below or tweet us @IcelandNatural! Purchase your tour tickets here!